#having the wives as one note loyalty only characters is so boring to me

[dialux]

Like I REALLY get why people have a certain read of the Feanorian wives but also:

A) it's so intensely interesting to me when people are quasi-normal in peacetime but the moment stress is placed upon a relationship their priorities are really fucking clear, and I love to think the famed Feanorian ruthlessness is something that freaks out quite a few of the wives that haven't fully drunk the kool-aid.

B) when you have a little more distance from a situation/trauma you're more likely to be rational about AND to think someone who's closer to the trauma is acting irrationally. Which is literally the whole of the Feanorian/Fingolfinian dynamic in a nutshell: everyone is acting irrationally! Everyone has centuries if not millennia worth of alliances and agreements and history that inform their next approach to a problem! But if you're standing outside of that thicket you're left wondering: what the actual fuck is wrong with these people.

C) a bit more of a meta textual point but the point of the Feanorians is that they're alone. They drive off everyone over the course of the Silm. They break their oaths and they break the laws and they break all bounds of morality. They are left by the end of the First Age with only two of a once proud family: no servants left, no friends, no family, just Maedhros and Maglor. And having those warning signs be there from the beginning? Fantastic. The wives leave, following Nerdanel, and the sons leave, following Feanor. It's the circle of life (abuse) baby!

D) toying with the idea of women as the torchbearers of cultural heritage is in fact an interesting tension: and I just flat out think these women saying that's it we can't and don't want to participate in this farce (because we know it's a farce and a tragedy and how it will end) fucks really hard! They say No and Not like this and Even if I thought you were right I do not think it is worth it. All of which are worthwhile views to be had, and, perhaps more importantly, views that aren't discussed or even mentioned in the actual books.

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, AKANKSHA! You’ve been accepted for the role of DESDEMONA with a faceclaim change to Deepika Padukone. Admin Kaitlin: Delilah has always been a character defined by her heart, and for that I think it’s easy to overlook her in many ways, to underestimate the strength of her will or that sharpness of her mind, but Akanksha, you never let us forget that all of Delilah weaknesses are also her strengths, that the truth is her blessing and she’s willing to follow it to the ends of the earth. I can’t wait to see where you take her from here! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

Out of Character

Alias | Akanksha

Age | 23

Preferred Pronouns | she/her/hers

Activity Level | I currently work a 9-5 kind of job – what this translates to is I have a habit of passing out by midnight but 6 pm - 12 am is fair game. I’m fairly available to chat/plot during work as well. As a general rule, length and inspiration dictates how long it takes me to respond but 2 - 3 days is my average.

Timezone | EST

Current/Past RP Accounts | I’ve played dozens, but recent accounts that are most accurate for my style of writing would be Daphne Greengrass and Maeve Fitzgerald (OC).

In Character

Character | DESDEMONA

– note: I’d like to play her with Deepika Padukone!

DELILAH – her parents call her ‘laila’ at home. however, her legal name is the result of the typical immigrant narrative. in order to assimilate, she must have a name others could say.

BELLO – she took her husband’s last name. it’s what her mother did, and her mother before her. and of course, she'd loved him. she wanted to be his.

What drew you to this character? | Delilah isn’t my usual sort of muse. I tend to gravitate towards characters who have much more in common with myself – personalities that are more sure of themselves, skilled in areas I have a particular interest in. But I’ve recently been considering my heritage and cultures (I’m Indian) and this whole narrative of Indian wives who give their love freely and deeply. Yet they receive very little in return. I also was doing a rewatch of one my favorite Bollywood directors’ take on Shakespearian stories. His version of Othello (called Omkara) is compelling and theatrical. In watching it, my sense of feminism made itself known and I found myself DEEPLY protective of Desdemona. All she does is speak her truth. And I find that inspiring.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

BETWEEN SCYLLA & CHARYBDIS – delilah’s connection to the capulets is tangential at best. her loyalty had been to odin. not them. she knows enough to make her an asset to either side; but lacks the conviction to make her valuable. perhaps it’s time to follow isabella’s advice and shed her ties to both. but that would mean severing the remnants of her relationship as well.

ARIADNE’S KNOTTED GOLDEN THREAD – i would love to explore the meaning of betrayal as it relates to delilah. the most prevalent, of course, is her rumored betrayal and odin’s betrayal of trust. but what of everyone else? what of lucrezia – who might believe her, but won’t lift a finger to clear her name? what of orsino – who likely knows the truth but cannot be bothered to fight for it? delilah came to this city for love and was betrayed by it. she’s alone. has she betrayed herself in her pursuit for love?

THE CURSED LIPS OF CASSANDRA – no one believes her. this may be an opportunity for revenge – after all, the capulets, the montagues, the entire damned city is founded upon it. but is delilah capable of retribution? it’s mentioned that she’s some sort of writer. it would be interesting to explore whether or not delilah can leverage that and how that would juxtapose with her role as a soldier. one is natural to her, the other learned. which truly suits her? or which will she force to suit her?

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | The tragedy of Desdemona is her ultimate death and I’m enough of a drama-hoe that I would kill Delilah in a heartbeat if it furthered the story of the rp.

In Depth

In-Character Interview:

What is your favorite place in Verona? | delilah opens her mouth to speak, then closes it. speaking the truth has not served her well in recent days and yet it was still her first instinct. she lifts her chin – that alone is a small victory. “before i knew better, before i was told i was forbidden, i visited the capital library once.” there was a sheen to her eyes that could have been the beginnings of unshed tears. or perhaps a gleam of nostalgic excitement. “it was beautiful. books everywhere, their smell in every breath i took. stories but information too. people’s truths compiled in one stunning room.” she paused, and the sudden show of emotion dissipates, leaving her small and listless. “it’s a pity i can never go back."

What does your typical day look like? "i tend to wake up before the sun rises.” she doesn’t specify that she has been having trouble sleeping soundly. that she still aches to be wrapped in his arms as she slept. “i like to take my mornings slow. read the news. drink espresso. get ready for the day. i work as a legal secretary for small firm that specializes in small claims. it’s almost entirely administrative – filing papers, managing calendars, coffee runs, that sort of thing.” delilah didn’t seem particularly attached or proud of work. her voice was flat. “it pays well enough. when i get home i’ll usually indulge in a cup of chai. i cook a lot. but i’ve been having trouble correcting my servings.” she’d gotten so used to cooking for two. “i go to bed well before midnight.” but she rarely fell asleep that early. “very boring. i know.” her smile was brittle – the slightest breeze could have shattered her.

What has been your biggest mistake thus far? she laughed. it was a rough sound, more bark than melody. where should she have begun. the world would have said that her mistake was to love. every time she claimed otherwise, she believed it less and less. her conviction in that all powerful force was whittling away with each passing day. “i stopped calling my parents. and now i’m too afraid to call.” she wasn’t sure whether there would be affection or indifference on the other end of the line – verona had taught her to be suspicious.

What has been the most difficult task asked of you? buried beneath photo albums and old movie tickets and pressed flowers and filled journals was a manila folder with the forms to file for divorce. she hadn’t looked at them since the days she’d printed them. “i think the most difficult thing in the world is to make a decision.” she hadn’t always thought that. before…everything, she’d been decisive and sure of herself despite the concerns of others. now, she felt adrift and unsure. “and before i can move forward, i have to decide what it is i want to do and what i need to do. and then i need to decide what is best for me.” and to think of herself only would be the hardest part of all.

What are your thoughts on the war between the Capulets and the Montagues? the honest answer was indifference. the diplomatic one was what she said aloud. “i got caught up in something i wasn’t meant to, i think. their hatred is deep and irrational, which makes it all the more dangerous.” it wasn’t her war. it was his war. he’d entered the fray, bold and fearless and she had followed. “it’s tragic, isn’t it?” she looked away, finding it difficult to swallow, willing her voice to remain steady. she faltered. “this whole city is d-damn tragedy.”